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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24026749">Cruel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cauliflower_steaks/pseuds/Cauliflower_steaks'>Cauliflower_steaks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Fuck Or Die, Hurt and comfort, M/M, Multi, Oral Sex, PTSD, Size Difference, Threats, Vaginal Sex, ambigious ending, bandits, body image issues, crowd sex, dub-con, mild violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:22:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24026749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cauliflower_steaks/pseuds/Cauliflower_steaks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dimitri, Edelgard and Claude are given an unusual ultimatum.</p><p>('Fuck-or-die' scenario, threesome, written for the FE3H kinkmeme)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Edelgard von Hresvelg/Claude von Riegan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>FE3H Kink Meme</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Now then, let’s begin.’</p><p>Edelgard hisses as the man pushes her to the ground. She has no idea what these bandits have planned. How on earth did they manage to catch her alone? How long have they been watching her for? And what's more, why on earth are Dimitri and Claude here? </p><p>The room is decrepit and sparse, with no furnishings save for a few empty crates and some chains on the wall, to which Dimitri is shackled. Clearly they've been planning this, and if she wasn't so angry she'd almost be impressed that they managed to sedate Dimitri long enough to restrain him, never mind the fact that they managed to locate the elusive Alliance leader after his disappearance at Derdriu.</p><p>Some more men emerge from the shadows of the room, and before she fully realizes what’s going on they’re tearing through her clothes. They rip her tights clean off and slice the bodice of her dress with a dagger. </p><p>‘No!’ She gasps, trashing and wiggling to make it more difficult for the men accosting her. Her struggle stops when she feels the dagger at her throat. <em> Fuck. </em> This is awful, awful, awful. She wants to cry, a sensation she hasn’t felt in years, for how humiliated and scared she is. Instead, she closes her eyes and grinds her teeth, using every last drop of willpower in her body to resist kicking out and screaming. She’s terrified, but she’s determined not to show it.</p><p>Once they’re done, she’s left lying naked on the floor. The sensation of cold concrete against her naked back is dredging up memories that she’s been trying all her life to repress.</p><p>She looks up, and to her surprise, finds that Claude is now similarly naked. She quickly averts her gaze when he catches her looking at him. She’d honestly assumed that it was only going to be her on the receiving end of whatever’s about to happen, given that she seems to be the only woman in a room full of men. She doesn’t know whether to be relieved or even more horrified. </p><p>She looks to the corner where Dimitri is chained. There are four men attempting to get him out of his clothes, and one knife snapped in half on the ground beside him. She has no idea how he managed that without using his arms, and she honestly doesn’t want to know.</p><p>After a lot of struggling, and a full-size sword pointed at his throat, they finally undress him too. Edelgard can’t look after that point.</p><p>‘Now then,’ comes a voice from the centre of the room. There stand two men; one in the middle, and a taller one to the left. The taller one is the one that speaks next.</p><p>‘Our boss here isn’t your typical thief. He’s not lookin’ for gold.’</p><p>He pauses. Edelgard’s heart is beating so fast that she feels like she’s going to pass out. </p><p>‘He’s lookin’ for a certain type of gratification.’</p><p>They’re going to torture and kill her, and in front of those two no less. How did she let this happen?</p><p>Silence again. </p><p>‘What do you want?’ Dimitri growls, after about a minute of only whispers and snickers from the men standing around them.</p><p>‘Simple. You three fuck each other, or you die here.’</p><p><em> ‘What?!’ </em> Edelgard yelps, momentarily losing her composure. What do they even get out of this sick plan? No money, no political motives, just an ultimatum that seems to be engineered to humiliate her in particular?</p><p>She glances at Dimitri. Only days have passed since they last met, and their talk has been weighing heavily on her mind. His sole eye is practically bulging out of its socket, and he’s pulling at his chains with such intensity that it makes her think they must be magically infused to resist his strength.</p><p>Maybe it would be better if she were to be brutalized by strangers instead.</p><p>‘You heard me, <em> Emperor,</em>’ says the man, and the mocking tone with which her title is spat back at her makes her snap.</p><p>‘How<em> fucking </em> dare you-’ she says, her face hot with fury. She wants to stand up, but she's too embarrassed by the thought of baring herself to the crowd like that. She hears Dimitri’s chains rattling again, and a cacophony of hissed curses emerge from his corner until they’re abruptly silenced. There’s a man holding a knife to his throat. Suddenly, someone grabs her and yanks her backwards, and she feels something cold against her neck, too. </p><p>‘Another word out of you two and you die. Got it?’</p><p>Edelgard closes her eyes and tries to be still. The man drops his hold on her and walks away. </p><p>‘Ok, settle down guys,’ Claude whispers from behind. She turns to look at him. ‘We’re gonna do this, and we’re gonna find a way to make it as painless as possible. Okay?’</p><p>‘No,’ Dimitri whispers, staring dead-eyed at the ground. ‘I’d rather die.’ She finds herself agreeing with him.</p><p>‘Look, I intend to get out of here alive, but I’m gonna have a hard time fulfilling their ultimatum if you two are dead. And you wouldn’t want me to die here, would you, Dimitri?’ Claude reaches a hand out, and Dimitri almost instantly takes it in his own. Edelgard is taken aback by their apparent closeness. She knew they were friendly during their time at Garreg Mach, but this? When did this happen? She had assumed that Dimitri came to his aid at Deirdriu in one of his misguided attempts at heroism that he’s become newly fond of, but could there be more to it than that?</p><p>‘No, I wouldn’t,’ he whispers, after some time. </p><p>Edelgard closes her eyes. She doesn’t know how to feel about that, but she does know that she can’t afford to die, and especially in a place like this. She’s done worse than this, endured worse than this. She’ll get out. She has to. She’ll get out, and she’ll win. </p><p>‘Fine,’ she whispers. Despite how collected she sounds, she feels a sense of dread crawling over her, making her chest tight. Claude shoots her an appreciative smile. She’s slightly shocked by the warmth in his eyes; partially because he never looks so genuine, and partially because she expected him to hate her by now. </p><p>‘Thanks, guys. I’ll make it up to you.’</p><p>Her head is spinning. A few months ago they were hellbent on killing each other, and their continent is still embroiled in a war that<em> she </em>started;  the shift in tone is a lot to process. </p><p>Claude moves closer to Dimitri. He smiles and whispers something in Dimitri’s ear, which eases Dimitri's gloomy expression a little and prompts him to move his head closer for a kiss. The crowd of bandits cheer, and she watches Dimitri's expression darken again. Claude says something to him and then resumes their kiss. </p><p>They continue like that, their embrace growing more passionate and lustful. They whisper things to one another, and they laugh and smile and hold hands. </p><p>Watching them, she feels like a discarded piece of cloth. Her body is repulsive, she knows. There’s no way they haven’t noticed the scars that marr every inch of her, and there’s no way they aren’t disgusted by it. But even more so, the unspoken camaraderie between them makes her feel horrible.</p><p>She doesn’t even think they’re friends, at least not really. They’re just united in the fact that they both oppose her, and their easy intimacy makes her feel more alone than ever. Many of her classmates abandoned her after she revealed her plans, and of course Dimitri took the professor from her. She’s accepted that she’ll never know the joys of love, or even friendship, but watching it play out in front of her stings like a slap to the face. </p><p>Claude stands then and positions himself in front of Dimitri. He's erect, and she's surprised by how pliant Dimitri is in opening his mouth for him. He takes him whole, his cheeks hollowing out as he begins to suck. Claude's eyes shut and he moans, twisting his fingers in Dimitri's hair. The men jeer and shout vulgar things. She doesn't know how they even think of such awful things, never mind vocalize them. It makes Dimitri frown, but Claude's reassurances set him back on track. </p><p>The wet noises and moans from their corner of the room reach a climax. She hears Dimitri gagging, and Claude calls his name one last time. When he pulls away, she sees Dimitri swallowing deeply. </p><p>Her face goes flush. The most tantalizing thing she’s experienced to date was a glance at the Professor’s breasts in the sauna, and that’s the image she uses to satisfy herself whenever the need gets too great to ignore. What she’s watching here is different; it’s messy, and human, and far too intimate, but it’s also incredibly arousing. She hates herself for getting turned on by this when her entire focus should be getting out as quickly as possible.</p><p>Eventually, Claude fully peels himself away from Dimitri and turns to her. Her stomach drops. She momentarily forgot that she’s next. </p><p>‘Alright,’ he says, his eyes fixed on her face. He must be dreading this, dreading having to touch her corpse-like body. </p><p>‘Can I use my mouth on you?’</p><p>Her mouth is so dry that she can’t answer, and she wants to cry. Having her first time in a place like this, with the dark memories that she has locked away threatening to come to the forefront of her mind? It’s awful. Her face must have given away her anguish; Claude squeezes her hand.</p><p>‘Shh, it’s alright, okay? I won’t hurt you. It might even feel good.’ Somehow, the tenderness in his voice makes her want to lean into him and not let go. She remembers all those years below the ground, how clinging to her siblings was the only thing that made her feel safe. Maybe she just needs some of that warmth again. </p><p>She manages to give him a nod. </p><p>‘Alright, but on second thoughts, I’ll start off with my fingers.’</p><p>She nods again, steeling herself, and eases herself down until she’s lying flat on the ground. Claude follows, positioning himself on top of her. The warmth of his body against hers makes her breath catch in her throat. She can see the hair on his chest, can smell the scent of his skin, and it’s so intimate that she feels like she might explode. He’s heavy on top of her, but it’s not unpleasant. </p><p>For some reason, the question that’s been burning on the tip of her tongue decides to slip out. ‘How are you and Dimitri so close?’</p><p>Claude frowns, seemingly taken aback by the randomness of the question, and she can hardly blame him. ‘Well, he saved me. And, uh, we just have chemistry, I guess.’</p><p>She says nothing in response. <em> Chemistry. </em>She doesn’t think she’s ever had chemistry with someone.</p><p>Claude looks at her again, and slips a hand between her legs. She feels his calloused palms caressing her inner thigh. She has no experience to speak of, and therefore no one to compare him to, but she can already tell he’s a gentle and considerate partner. Still, she can feel how his hands quiver. He must be as nervous as she is.</p><p>After some time, he puts two of his fingers in his mouth, lubricating them with his spit. He then moves his hand back between her legs. She holds her breath. His fingers gently breeze over her folds, and he finds her clit in no time at all. He has <em> definitely </em>done this before. </p><p>‘Right there, yeah?’</p><p>She nods, and Claude begins to rub. His breath comes shakily, and he’s biting his lip. It’s relieving to see him like this. Warmth begins to build in her stomach, and she spreads her legs wider beneath him to increase the pleasure. He was right-- it really <em> does </em>feel good, and his closeness to her is far more comforting than she could have anticipated</p><p>‘Hey, this Alliance kid really knows what he’s doing, eh? Look at her.’</p><p>She jumps at the sound of the voice, and is quickly reminded that there are multiple sets of eyes all focused on her. Oh no. Those horrible images of her siblings are going to rush back any moment now, and she won’t be able to keep it together anymore--</p><p>‘Shhhhh, Edelgard. Hey, Edelgard. Look at me.’ Claude’s firm hands on her shoulders pull her out of her thoughts. ‘Ignore them, ‘kay? Focus on me.’</p><p>She sighs and nods. </p><p>‘I’m gonna use my mouth now, if that’s okay with you.’</p><p>‘You don’t have to.’</p><p>Claude’s brow furrows, and he glances over his shoulder. ‘C’mon, just tell me if you want me to or not. We can’t keep whispering like this.’</p><p>‘J- Just-- just do what you want,’ Edelgard stutters. This is humiliating. Claude shakes his head and looks at her for a few moments, seemingly taking in the sight of her naked body. She would really prefer if he didn’t. </p><p>‘Well, uh, if you’re giving me the choice, then I’m gonna go down on you.’</p><p>Oh no. She was not expecting him to say that. He then slides down until his face is between her thighs, lifts her legs onto his shoulders.</p><p>Before he starts, he looks up at her. ‘Just close your eyes and think of someone really attractive, ‘kay?’</p><p>Edelgard stares at the ceiling for a moment before shutting her eyes to try to follow his instructions. Who does she find attractive? Hubert, she supposes. But perhaps not in this way. The Professor, yes, blindingly so. But when she thinks of her, she sees her by Dimitri’s side, and the jealousy and pining take over. She feels a warm, wet sensation between her legs. She looks down. Claude has his eyes closed, and he’s drinking her up already, strong arms clasped around her thighs.</p><p>Claude. She’s attracted to Claude.</p><p>It doesn’t take long for it to start to feel amazing, after that revelation. His tongue is fast and warm against her, and the hot itch that his stubble creates against her thighs only makes her pleasure burn brighter. It feels so good, in fact, that nothing happening in that room even matters anymore. Her mind has gone blank, just white noise with bursts of pleasure running through her like fireworks. She can hear the names they’re taunting them with- <em> virgin, slut, freaks- </em>but it doesn’t matter. Right now, nothing matters. </p><p>She can feel her orgasm building with every lap against her clit. She roughly grips Claude’s hair, pushing him closer against her. He looks up at her and moans, his eyes full of lust. That look, those gorgeous eyes, the desire apparent in them-- she loses it, gasping out his name over and over as she rides out the best orgasm of her life on his face. </p><p>Claude pushes himself up and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and <em>wow</em>, that was attractive. A sense of relief rushes over her, and she pulls herself up to a sitting position beside him. It’s over. They’ve fulfilled their request. And even if they refuse to let them leave after all, she has no doubt that Hubert will be at their door any moment now. </p><p>‘Hey, you’re not finished, Miss. You haven’t even touched him yet.’ The bandit gestures towards the corner in which Dimitri is chained up, and she feels the colour leave her cheeks. No. She can’t. She really, really can’t. Just the thought of it has her frozen to the spot.</p><p>‘C’mon, you two. Just this, and then we can go.’ Claude squeezes her forearm. </p><p>‘No,’ she whispers, as quietly as possible, but apparently not quietly enough. A bandit is brandishing a sword at her back within seconds.</p><p>‘Is that an admission of defeat, then?’ their ringleader asks. She looks at Dimitri, and oh <em> God, </em>there’s tears running down his cheeks.</p><p>‘No,’ she gasps, feeling the bandit’s sword pointing deeper into her skin, enough to draw some blood. She sees Claude wincing from the corner of her eye. ‘I’ll do it.’</p><p>The man withdraws, and the rest of the bandits begin taunting and jeering Dimitri. </p><p>‘What are you crying for? You sure enjoyed watching that, didn’t you?’ </p><p>He gets angry then, tearing at his chains again until Claude hurries to his side to calm him down. After a few seconds, the men’s innuendo registers in her brain, and she reluctantly casts her gaze down his body. Oh no. He’s very, very obviously erect from watching them. Not only that, but his dick is huge. Big enough to split her in two. <em> This cannot be happening.  </em></p><p>Claude reaches an arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to Dimitri. Her knee is touching his thigh, and even that tiny bit of warmth feels too much for her. </p><p>‘Alright, we might face some technical issues here, but I’m sure we can make it work. Edelgard, why don’t you get on your hands and knees, and then Dimitri can kneel behind you and--’</p><p>‘I’m not a <em> dog,</em>’ she hisses. She’s not entirely sure where that outburst came from, but if she had to field a guess she’d say it has something to do with giving over that much control to Dimitri. She can see how the alternative might hurt more, but she’d rather be in pain than let him set the pace.</p><p>‘Okay, alright, jeez. I’m just trying to make this as painless as possible for you. You’re gonna have to ride it in his lap, you know. Given, uh, your size difference, that position could be pretty hard on you.’</p><p>Dimitri is uncharacteristically quiet. She glances at him, and finds his eyes clouded with an emotion that she can’t name. She swallows.</p><p>‘It’s okay, Claude. I’ll be fine,’ she whispers, feeling guilty for her harsh words given how kind he’s been up to this point. </p><p>‘Alright, if you’re sure. You don’t have to take all of it inside you. You can kind of just, uh, ride about half of it. Sorry, I don’t really know how to explain...’ He looks so embarrassed that Edelgard feels sorry for him.</p><p>‘Yes. Thanks, Claude.’ </p><p>He rubs the small of her back. His hands are still shaking.</p><p>‘Dimitri, don’t come inside her, you hear me?’</p><p>Dimitri’s face contorts into a pained expression at Claude’s words, and she understands why. There’s so many unparsed emotions between them, so many bittersweet memories that she’s only beginning to recall. It would be easier for one of them to simply kill the other like her Uncle had intended than to scale that mountain to try to reach a compromise. </p><p>Claude squeezes her forearm, and the bandits begin jeering them, mocking them for going too slowly. Edelgard inhales and climbs into Dimitri’s lap. She makes the mistake of looking him in the eye, and finds herself fighting back tears too.</p><p>He was her first love, her first kiss, her step-brother, and her sworn enemy. And until a few days ago, she didn’t even realize that. How could she forget someone so significant to her? It’s true that they’ve moved on, and things have changed. But during those dark nights filled with her siblings' screams, she used to think about him, and she would smile.</p><p>He’s been hellbent on killing her for years. These warm sentiments should have died long ago, but somehow they haven’t. More taunts come their way, but she can no longer make out what they’re saying. She lowers herself onto Dimitri’s cock and hisses when he begins to enter. It hurts<em> so </em>much, she doesn’t understand how anyone does this. Dimitri, not thinking straight and looking desperately for something to hold onto to prevent himself from bucking his hips into her, roughly grasps the only thing within reach- her calves. He squeezes, which only adds to the pain she’s experiencing.</p><p>‘Stop it, that hurts,’ she gasps, hurriedly trying to pry his hands off of her. Once her words register with him his arms instantly fly as far up as his shackles will allow. </p><p>‘Sorry, I’m sorry--’</p><p>She looks away and lowers herself further onto him until she’s certain she can’t take anymore. He’s pulling her taut, and it stings, but the pressure is somehow pleasurable too.</p><p>‘Can I--’ Dimitri gasps, ‘put my arms around you?’ God, she wants to say no, but she’s scared to think what will happen if he thrusts up into her by accident.</p><p>‘If it’ll help.’</p><p>He wraps his arms around her and squeezes her tightly, until her face is resting on his shoulder. This is too much- but she can’t stop now. She begins to ride him, bouncing up and down on his dick, as much as she can without hurting herself. The wetter she gets, the more of him ends up entering her. Dimitri is moaning and spluttering, and she wants to occupy his mouth with her own so badly but she’s scared that if she does that, she’ll stir up emotions that she can’t afford to hold onto anymore.</p><p>‘El, El--’ Dimitri gasps, and that nickname sends her reeling, ‘Can I kiss you?!’</p><p>She nods, panicked and no longer able to resist, holding his face with both of her hands and kissing him deeply. </p><p>‘I love you, I love you El, I don’t want to fight anymore-’ Dimitri says frantically, over and over until it becomes too much to bear.</p><p>‘Stop it, Dimitri-’ she gasps between kisses, trying to silence him with her mouth but only finding herself enjoying him more and more. He’s so beautiful, she can hardly believe that her shy and wispy little friend grew up to be such a handsome man, and she thinks that maybe in a different life she could love him back, could share her life with him, could find happiness with him. She can’t allow herself to in this one, but perhaps she can indulge in that sensation for just a few moments. She strokes his cheek, and then leans in to whisper in his ear.</p><p>‘Dima. My Dima.’</p><p>He cries out, clearly on the brink of an orgasm, and she has the good sense to pull off of him and finish him with her hand instead. He bites down on her shoulder, sobbing and quivering. Edelgard strokes his hair.</p><p>She looks back over her shoulder at Claude. His eyes are misty with tears. Oh God, what is she going to do now? </p><p>‘You two should just-- ah, forget it. Let’s try to talk after this.’ His voice is shaky with emotion, but Edelgard just shakes her head, continuing to card her hand through Dimitri’s hair.</p><p>‘It’s too late for that now. Once we get out of here, we’re going to have to act like nothing ever happened.’</p><p>‘No…’ she hears Dimitri murmur. </p><p>The ringleader approaches them. The smirk he’s wearing makes her stomach drop.</p><p>‘You didn’t actually think you’d get out of this that easily, did you?’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Additional TW for some non-con groping</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘The three of you. At the same time. Now,’ the ringleader shouts, his voice echoing in the empty room. They scramble to their feet, still shaky after what has just transpired, the threat of violence looming over their heads.</p><p>‘Okay, I’m gonna go in the middle. Dimitri, you know what to do. Edelgard, you can just… use your hands on me, alright? It’s not too complicated, you’ll do fine,' Claude says, positioning himself on his knees in front of Dimitri, his back turned to him. Edelgard flushes at the thought of touching him down there.</p><p>‘Yeah, we know you love the attention, you whore,’ says the man to Claude, coming closer to them with a knife in hand. Edelgard tries to swallow, but finds her mouth entirely dry. She looks at Claude, and the wounded look on his face makes her heart hurt. In truth, she never trusted him, always suspected him of being up to something. Now she’s starting to see him for a kind and sensitive person, who probably hid behind a mask because it was easier on him.</p><p>Not unlike her, really.</p><p>‘You’re not doing it like that. The girl needs to be in the middle.’ </p><p>She bites her tongue hard enough to draw blood. How, after all of this, can they still demand more? Why won’t they just kill her now, instead of forcing her through this?</p><p> Still, the knife is sharp in the man’s hand, and she doesn’t<em> truly </em>want to die here. So she shifts onto her hands and knees, facing the wall where Dimitri is chained. Her new position exposes her rear in an uncomfortable way, which garners a cheer from the bandits before Claude hurries behind her to block their view. </p><p>‘I don’t want to do this... it’s degrading,’ she whispers, and that simple admission is the most vulnerable she’s made herself in years.</p><p>‘I know. I’m sorry about this,’ says Claude from behind her. </p><p>‘It’s okay, El. I promise I won’t hurt you,’ says Dimitri, far too earnestly for someone who’s erect cock is just inches away from her face.</p><p>The man circles them, examining their position. He stops by her side. </p><p>‘Use your mouth.’</p><p>Her stomach lurches. The prospect of performing oral sex on Dimitri is more than simply unappealing- it’s downright terrifying. She doubts she’d be able to even fit half of it in her mouth. Moreover, Dimitri is clearly completely unable to control himself when something is pleasurable, and thanks to her own new experience, she’s pretty certain that no matter how bad her technique may be, he is going to find it hard to keep his cool.</p><p>‘Hey, don’t worry. You have two crests, right? So you’re definitely strong enough to keep a solid grip, even if he does move his hips,’ says Claude.</p><p>‘How do you know that?!’ Edelgard hisses, craning back to look at him while trying to keep it as quiet as possible. Dimitri is looking at Claude with confusion all over his face.</p><p>‘Uh, doesn’t matter right now. Let’s just try to get into a position that won’t end up breaking you. Keep your hands on the base, and only take as much as you can manage in your mouth. Any amount will be enough for Dimitri.’ Edelgard winces at the thought, while Dimitri looks downright mortified.</p><p>‘I have a feeling we’re not getting out of here either way,’ she sighs, half hoping to steer the conversation away from such technicalities. Maybe between the three of them, they can engineer some kind of getaway plan. </p><p>‘Don’t worry about that. I won’t let them hurt either of you,’ says Dimitri, who she is quickly considering to be the world’s loudest whisperer- the men in the crowd chant his words back to them, sneering and laughing at their overt earnestness. Judging by the look on Dimitri’s face, she has little doubt that if he could only be freed of his chains, he’d have them all dead in a matter of moments.</p><p>Clearly, they have each stumbled upon a veritable Pandora's box of emotions, and she has no idea what to do with them. What is she going to tell Hubert when he arrives with her forces, who, for the past five years, have been under strict instructions to kill both Claude and Dimitri by any means necessary?</p><p><em> Could there be another way?  </em>She thinks to herself, briefly, before shaking her head to snap herself out of it. She doesn’t have time for negotiations. Her rule needs to be brief, exact, and absolute, because she can feel her body weakening with each passing day. She tries to tell herself that maybe this stroke of bad luck is a blessing in disguise, that she’ll be able to take out both of them in one fell swoop. But those words ring hollow, and only seem to make her feel even worse.</p><p>‘The three of you need to orgasm, or it doesn’t count.’ announces the man, having returned to the center of the room. Edelgard starts to panic- she didn’t come when she was riding Dimitri, and she doesn’t really know if Claude’s body is going to make that much of a difference. </p><p>‘How am I going to--’</p><p>‘Don’t worry,’ Claude says, his voice soft and melodic, as he smooths a hand over her rear before squeezing a little. ‘I’ve got you, Princess.’</p><p>Edelgard’s head snaps to an upright position when she hears that. Despite her embarrassment, that sweet nickname combined with his lustful touch sends a shock wave of arousal through her, and her entire body stiffens up. </p><p>‘Uh, I mean…’ Claude says, clearly having second thoughts about how confidently he professed that.</p><p>In a rare moment of social grace, Dimitri cuts in before things can get any more awkward.</p><p>‘Alright, let’s... let's just start this.’</p><p>-</p><p>Claude leans over her a little and presses the head of his cock to her entrance. He’s about average sized, and given how stretched out and wet she must be, she doesn’t think he’ll pose much of an issue. It feels good inside, much better than Dimitri’s did. It fills her up just perfectly, although the sensation of having something inside of her like that will still take some getting used to. He places his hands on her hips, and squeezes slightly. </p><p>She looks up at Dimitri. He looks paler than usual, and she can see how his hands are trembling by his sides. He must be afraid of hurting her, and that scares her too. Still, she has no choice. She’ll just have to use all of her strength to keep that from happening. She reaches one hand up to grip the base of his cock. Her hand barely fits around it. </p><p>Claude tentatively begins to move his hips, fucking her in long, slow strokes. She raises her head, struggling to keep her balance now with only one hand on the ground, and licks the head of Dimitri’s dick. He’s so warm there, and he tastes heady and salty. This is so deeply intimate that she feels dirty. Still, she keeps working him, lapping around the head in small, rapid movements. Dimitri groans as she picks up the pace, whispering her name under his breath over and over, almost as if he were reciting a prayer.</p><p>Claude’s hand squeezing her ass makes her attention shift to him. He leans forward a little, pressing himself fully inside of her, and whispers into her ear.</p><p>‘Feels good…’</p><p>He then takes her earlobe between his teeth, nibbling on it gently before running his tongue over the whole outer shell of her ear. She gasps, and lets her attention slip away from Dimitri entirely; she had no idea she was so sensitive there, but that move has shivers running all down her body. He reaches a hand around to pinch her nipple. He seems to know exactly how to press her buttons, and she finds herself melting into him. He uses his free hand to circle her clit, a little rougher this time, but even more satisfying now that he’s inside her. His thrusts are steady and strong, but a little too slow. She hesitates, but then turns to him.</p><p>‘Harder,’ she says, intending for it to sound like a command, but the high pitch of her voice makes it more of a plea. Claude smirks, which is equal parts infuriating and attractive, and quickens his pace. </p><p>‘Is that good?’ he whispers in her ear, the heat of his breath making her shiver again. She nods, a moan escaping from her mouth as his fingers zone in on her sweet spot again. He settles his head in the crook of her neck, kissing and nibbling her while fucking her. It feels amazing, and for a second she thinks that she wouldn’t mind giving up her control like this more often. Her orgasm comes over her slowly and sweetly, making her thighs quiver and her eyes roll back. </p><p>Claude relinquishes his grip on her once he’s sure she’s finished, stroking her back as she comes back down to earth. After a few moments to herself, she settles into their rhythm again, one hand wrapped around Dimitri as she licks around his cock, while Claude continues fucking her.</p><p>‘God, you’ve got a cute butt,’ Claude groans, seemingly out of nowhere, and she feels her face heat up. True, that’s probably the only area of her body that her scars don’t reach, and Dorothea once described it as… <em> perky. </em>But she’s never given much thought to it. Maybe she should. ‘You know, I always thought you two were unfairly gorgeous.’ </p><p>‘Speak for yourself,’ Dimitri grunts, and he leans further over her to kiss Claude. She’s sandwiched between them even tighter now, and she has to curve her back even more to account for this new lack of space. Dimitri, newly distracted, has stilled his hips, and so Edelgard decides to take matters into her own hands. She takes as much of his cock in her mouth as she can and bobs her head up and down, aware of how lewd the wet noises coming from her mouth are, her own spit mixing with his precum. </p><p>‘You’re so stunning, Claude, if you were mine, I’d definitely…’ Dimitri’s sentence trails off into a moan, and he then looks down at Edelgard.</p><p>‘You’re.. So good at this, El, God--’ </p><p>His praise makes her chest feel full, and she looks up at him as she runs her tongue from the base of his cock upwards. In reality, she thinks she’s probably not very good at this at all; she has no rhythm, and she can only manage to take about half of him in her mouth before she starts gagging. Still, she also has a feeling that, just like herself, Dimitri was a virgin until a few moments ago-- so he’s likely to be impressed by anything at all.</p><p>‘You’d do what?’ Asks Claude, interrupting her praise for a chance at his own. She’s honestly a little miffed, but she figures she just has to work even harder to distract him again.</p><p>‘I’d keep you all to myself.’ </p><p>That possessiveness, even though it wasn’t directed at her, makes her stomach flip with lust. She’s definitely drooling now, she can feel it running down her chin. She’s certain she’s never looked more undignified, and she can feel her control over the situation slipping away with each passing moment.</p><p>Her arm is so tired that it feels like it’s going to give out on her. Exhausted and seeing no other choice, she relinquishes her grip on the base of Dimitri’s dick and uses both hands to steady herself on the ground. She allows the momentum of Claude’s hips moving in and out of her to push her back and forth against Dimitri. Although he’s trying to be gentle, he’s been gaining momentum, and Edelgard instantly finds herself with a mouthful of cock, pushing all the way back to her throat. Dimitri yelps, and she gags, loudly. Their audience begin to jeer her. She quickly pushes Dimitri away to get her breath back. </p><p>‘Are- are you okay?!’ Dimitri says, his voice panicked. She just shakes her head and opens her mouth again, waiting for him to resume their position. </p><p>He moves his hips forward hesitantly, and despite the anguished expression, the lust in his eyes doesn't escape her. Claude starts moving again. They start slowly, but their hunger betrays them, and Dimitri begins to rock his hips slightly in and out of her mouth. She moans, closing her eyes and moving her tongue up and down his shaft. Their closeness, their scents, the overwhelming fullness of it all- she can’t believe she’s actually enjoying this. </p><p>Claude’s pace is growing fast and erratic, and every thrust of his hips pushes her mouth further onto Dimitri. Judging by both of their moans and gasps, they’re only a few minutes away from climax. Claude’s fingers dig deeper into her hips, deep enough to leave bruises, and he presses her closer to his pelvis. She pulls away from Dimitri for a moment and begins rocking her hips in time with Claude’s, back and forth on his cock until he’s hunched over her, moaning with his face pressed into her shoulder. </p><p>‘Fuck-’ he hisses, and then he hurries to pull out, settling his dick between her thighs. He pushes them close together and fucks her there. The head of his cock slides up and down against her clit like this, and it makes her moan out loud. It only takes a few strokes he's before coated her with his cum. She’s filthy already, but the sticky sensation between her legs feels uniquely dirty, especially knowing that there isn’t even a cloth available to her to clean up afterwards. </p><p>Claude stays on his knees behind her to protect her from the crowd’s gaze. Her whole body feels tired, and now both of her arms are quivering, struggling to keep her upright. Her hair is a mess, hanging loose over her shoulders, with some strands wet with saliva and stuck to her face. She wearily lifts one hand off the ground to wrap it around Dimitri’s cock, and begins to jerk him, using the last of her energy to hopefully finish him off. She slides her hand lower after a few beats, and then takes him in her mouth again, syncing both actions until she reaches a rhythm. He moans, low and guttural, and she can feel the way he’s pulsing under her hand, and it turns her on despite her thinking that it shouldn’t. She looks up at him, begging him with her eyes to finish soon. He hisses and shifts, making his chains rattle. She can tell that it’s killing him not having anything to squeeze or hold onto, and it’s making this ordeal a lot more difficult.</p><p>‘I’m so close, El-’</p><p>She uses her last burst of energy to pick up her pace, holding her breath and bobbing her head up and down as fast as she can. Dimitri’s moans grow louder and louder, as do the chants from the crowd. </p><p>‘In her mouth!’ they start to say, just a few loud voices at first, but they’re almost calling it in unison. She feels so light-headed, she’s worried that she’s going to pass out before they can finish this. She finds some small amount of stamina to call on as she takes as much of him as she can manage, hollowing out her cheeks as she sucks as hard as she can. The thought of Dimitri finishing in her mouth is too much for her to bear; how will it taste? Will she choke? All of those questions bounce around her frazzled mind, too tired and overwhelmed to think them through properly.</p><p>She gets her answer a lot quicker than she had anticipated. One more stroke, and Dimitri groans her name loudly, roughly bucking his hips forward to force himself between her lips. Her eyes water, and she yelps, but it’s muffled, and then her mouth is filled with his cum. It’s so warm, and it tastes so salty, and when he pulls out she lets it sit on her tongue, not knowing whether to swallow or spit it out.</p><p>The crowd of bandits don’t afford her the benefit of choosing; they start screaming at her swallow, their fervor at an all time high. She takes it all in one go, feeling how hot and sticky it is as it trickles down her throat. It’s disgusting, but it turns her on still.</p><p>--</p><p>The ringleader steps forward to inspect them. Edelgard sits up, positioning herself slightly behind Dimitri. The man grabs Claude by the jaw and examines his face from every angle, looking at him as if he were prey. She sees the way Claude’s jawline clenches, and the look of terror in his eyes. Her stomach lurches. The man makes some kind of signal, and a few more join him. They’re touching his chest, his legs, groping his thighs and ass, anywhere their hands can reach, whispering in his ear and smiling. She can see how his face winces when they pull away, as though their words are somehow worse than the way they’re groping him. One of the men pinches his nipple, and he yelps. Edelgard feels like she’s going to be sick.</p><p>‘Claude!’ she shouts, scrambling to her feet on instinct before realizing that trying to intervene will almost certainly result in her being on the receiving end of the men’s touching too. She can’t take that- she crumples back down to the floor at the very thought.</p><p>She hears a rattling behind her- Dimitri has started to pull on his chains with a ferocity that even she didn’t think he was capable of.</p><p>‘Stop! Let go of him!’ he roars, yanking his arms forward again and again, straining himself so hard against them that it should be agonizing for him. She looks at the wall, and finds that it’s starting to crack. Just as she’s about to encourage him to keep pulling, a figure slips out of the shadows.</p><p>Both her and Dimitri’s attention is drawn from Claude and towards the person who is approaching them. Dark robes that cover every inch of them, and that dreadful, sinister, beaked mask covering their face. </p><p>Edelgard wants to scream.</p><p>‘What- what on earth is--’ she says, attempting to address the person with some measure of authority, but they appear to be entirely ignoring her<em> . I should have known. </em></p><p>Dimitri pulls again, but it’s quickly proven to be futile once more; the masked figure has imbued the chains with magic, stopping him from tearing up the wall any further and keeping him firmly in place. The person disappears as quickly as he appeared.</p><p>‘Did you set this up?!’ Dimitri shouts, looking at her in horror, clearly having recognized the person as an Imperial mage. He’s so <em> stupid, </em>so hotheaded, it’s infuriating--</p><p>‘Why would I inflict this upon<em> myself </em>?!’ She yells back, feeling like she’s nearing the very end of her tether. Normally, his baseless accusations wouldn’t have any effect on her. But now, with the newfound realization that this must be her Uncle’s punishment for meeting with Dimitri and the Professor behind his back, and the fear of what’s happening to Claude happening to her, she can’t keep it together any longer. She curls up into a ball, and finds that she can’t contain her tears any longer. She buries her head between her knees, trying her best to block out what’s going on around her to keep from passing out. </p><p>She glances up, and sees that the men seem to be leaving Claude alone. She makes eye contact with him, and notices that his eyes are teary too. Still, he offers her a weak smile, and she manages to give him one back. Relief washes over her at seeing him unharmed, but when she hears footsteps drawing near her, it’s quickly replaced with all an-encompassing dread. She looks up at the crowd, and where she saw no masked mages before she now sees them everywhere, everyone in the crowd. They’re all here to hurt her, to torture her, to kill her. Sensing that the men are drawing closer, she panics and closes the distance between herself and Dimitri by crawling forward and then burying her face in his lap. </p><p>‘Don’t let them touch me,’ she whispers, not even having the wherewithal to feel shame at her admission of vulnerability. She cannot, will not go through that pain again. Dimitri hesitates, then leans his torso over her and draws his knees upwards, so that her upper half is cocooned. </p><p>‘I won’t.’ He says, and she can hear the conflict in his voice. She turns onto her side, pressing her face into his stomach, her heart beating faster with every footstep that comes from behind her.</p><p>The footsteps stop, and the men stand in front of Dimitri. She winces, trying to silence her sobs, but finding that they only grow louder the more she thinks about what might be about to happen.</p><p>‘Hey, looks like he completely broke her.’  one of the men says, after some time. She gulps. She’s not broken- she’s been through worse, and made it through worse. </p><p>‘What ever happened to ‘I love you’, huh? Love your cock down her throat, more like.’</p><p>‘<em>Shut up! </em>’ Dimitri yells, and she can feel how every muscle in his body is tensed. Edelgard squeezes her eyes closed. Her Uncle will pay. She will make sure he pays. But not even death is payment enough for the suffering he has caused her. She stays there, frozen, waiting for one of them to approach her. They whisper and laugh, and Dimitri leans further over her still, but they don’t touch her. </p><p>‘El, it’s okay. They’re gone.’ says Dimitri, his voice much softer than it had been the last time he addressed her. She finally releases the breath she’d been holding onto. She wishes it were that simple; her Uncle’s men are never gone. She’s under constant surveillance, and although they answer to her in battle, they have no regard for her otherwise. Still, she forces herself to sit up, wiping at her eyes before prying them open.</p><p>‘Claude, are you okay?’ she asks, reaching outwards for his arm. He smiles at her, and moves to her side, linking her arm in his own. </p><p>‘Yeah, they didn’t do anything serious. I’ll be fine.’ She gives him an inquiring look. She doesn’t think anyone could be ‘fine’ after something like that, but it’s just like Claude to pretend that nothing’s wrong.</p><p>‘Honestly. Don’t worry about it,’ he says, but he won’t look her in the eye. Edelgard sighs. Claude quickly switches his attention to Dimitri, whose brow is furrowed with concern.</p><p>‘Hey, you mind being our bed for a bit, Dimi?’ Claude asks, moving next to Dimitri to sit against the wall and settling his head on his shoulder. Dimitri says nothing, just nuzzles his cheek against Claude’s, welcoming him to rest by his side. Once again, Edelgard feels like the outsider.</p><p>‘Is it wise for us to fall asleep?’ she asks, despite knowing that she won’t be able to keep her eyes open for much longer.</p><p>‘As long as one of us stays awake, we’ll be fine,’ Claude says, his voice muffled in the crook of Dimitri’s neck.</p><p>‘Wake me up in an hour's time, and I’ll watch while you sleep, ‘kay?’ </p><p>Dimitri shakes his head. ‘It’s fine. I won’t be able to sleep anyway. You two can rest.’</p><p>Edelgard hesitates, before deciding to settle back into his lap again. There’s no point in trying to maintain barriers at this point. Dimitri strokes her hair as much as he can with the constraints of the shackles on his wrists, running his fingers through the very ends of it. She looks up at him as her eyes begin to droop shut, his gaze focused softly on her. </p><p>--</p><p>True to his word, Dimitri is entirely unable to sleep. He can’t even get a good night’s rest in a proper bed, so sleeping in a place like this is out of the question. Edelgard is incredibly still in her sleep, never shifting from her position on her back, with her head resting in his lap. Claude, though, is a little more restless- he twists and moves, even murmuring to himself in his sleep. He smiles- it’s cute, how their sleeping habits seem to mirror their personalities.</p><p>Claude stirs then, pressing his face into the crook of Dimitri’s neck in a motion that feels too deliberate to be done whilst asleep. He looks at him, and is met with brilliant green eyes, fully alert and with no signs of the fact that he’d been asleep five minutes ago.</p><p>‘Good morning,’ Dimitri whispers, despite not having a clue what time it is- there’s no windows, so they’ve been in darkness this entire time. Claude offers him a weak smile.</p><p>‘Morning, dear.’</p><p>They sit in silence for a few moments, Claude’s head resting on his shoulder. He finds himself wondering what it would be like to wake up next to him every morning. He knows it could never happen, though. They may act casually with one another, but the truth is that Dimitri knows next to nothing about him. He would love to try to persuade him, to keep him by his side, but he knows that trying to tie Claude down is like trying to cage a wild bird.</p><p>'You know that if Imperial forces get here before yours do, we’re both dead, right?’ Claude eventually whispers, his voice uncharacteristically serious. Dimitri looks down at Edelgard, who appears to still be sleeping. She’s serene, and almost cute, with her lips pursed as she draws small, slow breaths. Her hair is splayed out over his thighs, and he can feel how soft and silky it is. A strange feeling settles over him, equal parts warm and hollow. </p><p>‘Maybe, maybe she’ll--’</p><p>Claude cuts him off before he has a chance to finish his sentence.</p><p>‘C’mon, Dimi,’ he says. ‘Think of everything she’s been through up until this point. Everything she’s done. You heard about Bernadeta, right? And Ferdinand? Even if he ended up on our side, he was still her classmate. If she could kill them, why would she even think twice about doing the same to us?’</p><p>He closes his eye. Claude is right, and he means well, but he can’t help feeling frustrated. Edelgard stirs and lets out a small groan, inaudible to anyone but him. She opens her eyes for a split second and makes total eye contact with him before blinking them shut again. She’s so<em> lovely, </em> absolutely ethereal, and for a moment he wonders how someone so beautiful could be capable of so much destruction. It’s an outdated idea, that her looks and mannerisms could be at all conflated with her abilities, and one that she would surely laugh at him for. Still, he can’t stop thinking about the way she called his name. Maybe she was just trying to taunt him, but the way she ran her fingers through his hair and comforted him makes him think it was a genuine moment of tenderness.</p><p>He would do just about anything to share another moment like that with her. And he still has so many questions for her, questions he may never find an answer to otherwise. But he can’t give up the purpose that he’s finally found. Not when everyone is counting on him.</p><p>Claude sighs beside him. Dimitri leans in close to whisper in his ear, just to relish the contact for what could very well be the last time.</p><p>‘Let’s just hope the Professor makes it here before they do.’ </p><p>Claude turns to him and smiles warmly. Dimitri takes it as an invitation to lean against him, letting his head loll on his shoulder. He wishes they could stay like this, just the three of them, all curled up together. </p><p>‘You know, despite everything, I’m kinda glad the three of us got to see each other again,’ says Claude, looking at the blank wall ahead of them. </p><p>Dimitri blinks. He’s surprised to hear that Claude feels that way, but relieved to hear that he’s not the only one.</p><p>‘So am I,’ he whispers, and he closes his eyes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thanks so much to everyone who commented/left kudos on the last chapter!! i hope you enjoy this one too</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Whew, thanks to the person who came up with this (https://3houseskinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/476.html?thread=71388) prompt, i finally got the inspiration to write a threesome (ish) for them. somehow it feels like a more believable way for them to resolve their issues than any of the weird aus that i've come up with lol<br/>thanks so much to everyone for your comments, hope you enjoy the second chapter!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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